Transmitting apparatus, transmission method, receiving apparatus, and reception method

Abstract

Tactile vibration signals are transferred favorably in synchronization with audio signals. Transfer signals for respective blocks each including a plurality of frames are sequentially transmitted to a receiver side via a predetermined transfer line. The transfer signals include a predetermined number of channels of audio signals and a predetermined number of channels of tactile vibration signals. For example, the tactile vibration signals are generated on the basis of media signals associated with the audio signals. For example, configuration information of the predetermined number of channels of audio signals and the predetermined number of channels of tactile vibration signals is added to the transfer signals.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A transmitting apparatus comprising:
 a transmitting section configured to sequentially transmit transfer signals for respective blocks each including a plurality of frames to a receiver side via a predetermined transfer line, 
 wherein the transfer signals include a predetermined number of channels of audio signals and a predetermined number of channels of tactile vibration signals, 
 wherein the predetermined number of channels of audio signals are identified using a first channel-status bit area within a respective block of the transfer signals and the predetermined number of channels of tactile vibration signals are identified using a second channel-status bit area within the respective block of the transfer signals, and 
 wherein the transmitting section is implemented via at least one processor. 
 
     
     
       2. The transmitting apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an information adding section configured to add, to the transfer signals, configuration information of the predetermined number of channels of audio signals and the predetermined number of channels of tactile vibration signals, 
 wherein the information adding section is implemented via at least one processor. 
 
     
     
       3. The transmitting apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the configuration information includes identification information for distinguishing the tactile vibration signals from the audio signals. 
 
     
     
       4. The transmitting apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the identification information includes information of a vibration position targeted by each of the predetermined number of channels of tactile vibration signals. 
 
     
     
       5. The transmitting apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the information adding section adds the configuration information by using a third channel-status bit area formed for each of the blocks. 
 
     
     
       6. The transmitting apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the information adding section adds the configuration information by using user data bits of a predetermined number of consecutive frames. 
 
     
     
       7. The transmitting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the plurality of frames includes repetitions of multichannel groups each including a predetermined number of frames, and 
 the transmitting section transmits the predetermined number of channels of audio signals and the predetermined number of channels of tactile vibration signals in a state that the predetermined number of channels of audio signals and the predetermined number of channels of tactile vibration signals are arranged in a time-division manner separately for each channel in all or some of the predetermined number of frames in each of the multichannel groups. 
 
     
     
       8. The transmitting apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a processing section configured to generate the tactile vibration signals based on media signals associated with the audio signals, 
 wherein the processing section is implemented via at least one processor. 
 
     
     
       9. The transmitting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined transfer line is a coaxial cable, an optical cable, an Ethernet (IEC 61883-6) cable, an HDMI cable, an MHL cable, or a display port cable. 
     
     
       10. A transmission method comprising:
 sequentially transmitting transfer signals for respective blocks each including a plurality of frames to a receiver side via a predetermined transfer line, 
 wherein the transfer signals include a predetermined number of channels of audio signals and a predetermined number of channels of tactile vibration signals, and 
 wherein the predetermined number of channels of audio signals are identified using a first channel-status bit area within a respective block of the transfer signals and the predetermined number of channels of tactile vibration signals are identified using a second channel-status bit area within the respective block of the transfer signals. 
 
     
     
       11. A receiving apparatus comprising:
 a receiving section that sequentially receives transfer signals for respective blocks each including a plurality of frames from a transmitter side via a predetermined transfer line, 
 wherein the transfer signals include a predetermined number of channels of audio signals and a predetermined number of channels of tactile vibration signals, and 
 wherein the predetermined number of channels of audio signals are identified using a first channel-status bit area within a respective block of the transfer signals and the predetermined number of channels of tactile vibration signals are identified using a second channel-status bit area within the respective block of the transfer signals. 
 
     
     
       12. The receiving apparatus according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a processing section that processes the transfer signals and outputs the predetermined number of channels of audio signals and the predetermined number of channels of tactile vibration signals. 
 
     
     
       13. The receiving apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein
 the transfer signals include configuration information of the predetermined number of channels of audio signals and the predetermined number of channels of tactile vibration signals, and 
 the processing section processes the transfer signals based on the configuration information and outputs the predetermined number of channels of audio signals and the predetermined number of channels of tactile vibration signals. 
 
     
     
       14. The receiving apparatus according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the configuration information is added by using a third channel-status bit area formed for each of the blocks. 
 
     
     
       15. The receiving apparatus according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the configuration information is added by using user data bits of a predetermined number of consecutive frames. 
 
     
     
       16. The receiving apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the plurality of frames includes repetitions of multichannel groups each including a predetermined number of frames, and 
 the predetermined number of channels of audio signals and the predetermined number of channels of tactile vibration signals are arranged in a time-division manner separately for each channel in all or some of the predetermined number of frames in each of the multichannel groups. 
 
     
     
       17. The receiving apparatus according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the predetermined transfer line is a coaxial cable, an optical cable, an Ethernet (IEC 61883-6) cable, an HDMI cable, an MHL cable, or a display port cable. 
 
     
     
       18. A reception method comprising:
 sequentially receiving transfer signals for respective blocks each including a plurality of frames from a transmitter side via a predetermined transfer line, 
 wherein the transfer signals include a predetermined number of channels of audio signals and a predetermined number of channels of tactile vibration signals, and 
 wherein the predetermined number of channels of audio signals are identified using a first channel-status bit area within a respective block of the transfer signals and the predetermined number of channels of tactile vibration signals are identified using a second channel-status bit area within the respective block of the transfer signals.